After The Don Left Me To Die I Chose Freedom Chapter 04
When I heard Grace’s voice, a light reignited inside me.
They came.
Luca came. Mom and Dad came too.
I knew it. They wouldn’t really let me die out here.
Even if they didn’t believe me, once they saw me buried in the snow with their own eyes, they would save me.
I fought to respond.
But I was pinned down completely. Snow sealed my mouth and nose. I opened my lips but couldn’t make a sound.
The footsteps drew closer and closer.
Luca stopped not far away.
“Emma?”
No one answered.
He let out a cold laugh.
“See? I told you she was lying. She’s not even here.”
In that instant, every drop of blood in my body turned to ice.
I am here. Right beneath your feet.
I pleaded silently in my mind.
Luca, look down. Just look.
If you take a few more steps forward, you’ll see the edge of my jacket poking through the snow.
But the last trace of concern had drained from his voice. All that was left was irritation.
“Emma is getting more and more ridiculous.”
“Avalanches, bleeding, something wrong with the baby—she’ll make up anything.”
“She just wants everyone revolving around her!”
Mom’s voice rose next, sharp with anger.
“She actually had me scared for a second.”
“Grace just started feeling better, and Emma has to pull something like this.”
Dad scoffed.
“She’s not stupid. She’s probably found some warm spot to hide in by now.”
“We’ve already bent over backwards for her, and she’s still not satisfied.”
I listened to every word, tears streaming silently down my face.
Grace coughed lightly, twice.
“Dad, Mom, Luca—please don’t blame her.”
“Maybe she just really wanted you all to care about her. Even though what she’s doing is… honestly a little too much.”
Her voice trailed off at the end.
Luca’s tone softened immediately.
“Grace, stop defending her. She’s just been spoiled rotten.”
Mom said, her voice aching with tenderness: “You just started getting better. Don’t stand out here in the wind.”
Dad urged: “Let’s go. It’s too cold. We made this whole trip for nothing, and your health is going to suffer again.”
My world was pitch black. I was pinned in place, barely able to breathe.
Tears melted the snow beside me as I begged in silence.
Please don’t go.
I’m right here.
The suffocation crept in slowly, filling my lungs with ice.
With the last shred of consciousness I had, I tried to move my trapped hand.
My fingers finally touched a piece of broken metal from the tent frame.
I summoned every ounce of strength left in my body and struck it. Hard.
A muffled thud rang out.
Luca’s footsteps stopped.
“What was that?”
Hope surged back, and I slammed it again with everything I had.
I heard him take two steps in my direction. Closer. Closer.
I could almost picture it—the moment he’d push away the snow and see me. Would he feel the guilt? Would he hold me and say he was sorry?
The toe of his boot stopped directly above my head. I held my breath.
Then Grace let out a soft cry.
“Luca… I feel dizzy. I can’t breathe…”